A quick view of the ACCA F3 paper

More about ACCA F3

If you have to take the FIA course for the ACCA papers, the ACCA F3 work is the last set before you move onto the Skills module. The FIA was established to provide a gateway for local and global students to gain access to the accountancy profession. The Fundamentals in Accountancy is designed to provide a general working background in the Accounting profession. The ACCA F3 is an introduction to the world of accounting builds upon the theories and methods from the other two papers. 

The groundwork of the ACCA F3 paper covers principles and concepts relating to financial accounting. The primary purpose is for the student to establish proficiency in entry techniques for groups of all sizes. Some subjects included are purpose of financial reporting, characteristics of financial information and much more. You may be able to skip the FIA and head straight into the Skills module. Some degrees may not be able to provide exemption from some of the ACCA papers. 

You can find used F3 papers from reputable websites and use them as a study tool. Some other resources or study tools may depend where you are studying. Are you going to physical school? Are you taking courses online? You should be able to find video lectures, notes, the paper with solutions and questions and other vital items to help you succeed. It may be worth the while to attend a specialized ACCA school, in order to gain access to their tutors. A tutor will have the experience to guide you on your path to the ACCA qualification.

Head to the TonySurridge website: www.tonysurridge.co.uk for more information on ACCA studies.

Getting Free ACCA study help

Where can you go for free ACCA study?

On your quest for the ACCA qualification, you may find some free ACCA study groups or programs. You can find free ACCA study guides that may offer solid studying advice. Some qualified universities may have free ACCA study sessions, groups, material or links to the right information for your needs. Some courses may not be available under the free help but you can do a thorough search.

Get the help when you need it! Sometimes a tutor may be able to help you at little out of cost expense. Some schools may offer free ACCA tutors to help answer your questions. If there is not an option for a tutor, you may want to find lecture notes, videos, audio, etc. The available resources for F1-F9 and P1-P7 may be available for you to use free.

If you are looking for specific information regarding a particular item, like Business organization, governance or short-term decision making techniques; you could find supported ACCA chat system and find notes regarding the particular subject matters. Another option is to find an online pool of resources relating to the ACCA F1 and ACCA F2 subsets. You may have to be fussy in the type of information that you are wanting and wait for it to become available.

The best way to get some free ACCA study help is to hold a studying session with your peers. They may have caught onto some of the key concepts without much of a problem, while you could provide your own strengths to the group.

Enroll into an ACCA Course

The ACCA course creates and develops core sets in financing, taxation, management, law, banking and other key areas. The accounting aspect to the ACCA course is only one nickel in the jar; the professional course is designed to increase the strengths and to build upon the managing foundation that the general course provides. The ACCA course is offered by certified schools or through an online method for students and professionals.

There are several ways to gain acceptance into the ACCA schooling. The bare essential guideline requires a competency in the fundamentals of accountancy. The minimum requirements include two A-levels, three GCSEs or similar in five different subject matters that includes English and Mathematics. If you hold a relevant degree from an accredited ACCA University, you may be able to gain access to the professional course. You degree may be able to exempt you from nine of the fundamental exams. If you do not have a relevant degree, your acceptance is still possible. You will need to see what you can be exempted from with your degree.
International students will have to take several IELT tests to gain admission and follow the regulations of acceptance of the host country. After acceptance into the program, the studies may take as long as three years, you may need to gain practical experience during this time to gain access to the professional course.

Here are a few benefits that you gain after completing your studies. Your career is highly improved with the ACCA membership, global recognition from the ACCA group, career flexibility, and exclusive access to specialized resources and much more.

For your ACCA exam, you will be expected to know...

...The role of the finance department?
We get asked this question a lot, and I thought I would help to shed some light on the matter.

Within bigger companies the department head of finance, often holding the title of Finance Director or FD, will often answer directly to the CEO and other board members, with oversight of the two senior managers within the finance department – the treasurer and the financial controller.

The basic roles of these 3 individuals are key to the ACCA examinations.

1. ACCA qualified Director of Finance - their role

The FD is in control and has accountability the planning of:

- the preparation of statutory accounts;
- the management accounting and management accounting information systems, such as budgetary control; payroll and taxes; and treasury management and strategic financial decisions.

As part of his duties, the FD is required to give advise to the Board of Directors on matters such as the following:

- Identifying which corporate investments should be undertaken
- how these investments should be funded
- as well as the policy for end of year dividends

For further information on the ACCA, the ACCA exam syllabus, or additional knowledge on the Roles of the Finance department within large companies, see the www.TonySurridge.co.uk website.

New ACCA F8 study E-book now launched from TonySurridge.co.uk

We’ve just launched another of our fantastic ACCA E-book publications! Head to our website, TonySurridge.co.uk to view the latest: ACCA F8 Practice Questions and Answers. Offering a collection of practice questions, past papers, and diagnostic tests. It’s our largest publication to date, coming in at nearly 1200 pages. It focuses on the ISAs for the ACCA F8 subject, and has links to most of them from within the text for reference.

We were hounded and hound by many ACCA students to publish more materials, especially with F8 as that is one of the most popular, and we are glad to be able to provide the resources now.

Click here for more details on our latest ACCA study E-book. You can even download a free sample chapter of the F8 Practice Questions and Answers paper, effectively allowing you to try before you buy.
Remember, we here at TonySurridge.co.uk are there to help with your ACCA studies.

ACCA F2 - looking at Management Accounting towards the start of your ACCA student route

ACCA F2 is ACCA’s first glance at Management Accounting – an ACCA student revises it for ACCA Paper F5 and at a election down the road with Paper P5. It's sensible to reflect on what management accounting is, and how crucial it is in the modern business environment.

An ACCA financial accountant gives important information, by process of financial statements, basically to serve the requirements of parties outside of the corporation, such as shareholders, creditors, government agencies (e.g. tax offices) and investors.

Because financial statements are historic, internal, financial and holistic (shoing ‘whole’ company data) they do not meet the complete needs of management who make big decisions, and need to command the routines of the organisation. On the contrary, to realize these aims, management also want future and external data, non-financial facts and segmented information (e.g., profit and costs of each and every product-market, not only the profit and loss of the entire organisation). Also, management run in intricate, aggressive and ever changing business environments, surrounded by changing technologies and practices. These are the arguments why the modern manager requires support from ACCA gurus.

The role of the management accountant is to get hold of pertinent internal and external data (both financial and non-financial) and then to convert it into meaningful and relevant management decision-making and control information. But more than that – a management accountant presents managerial advice which involves the untangling, analysis, assessment and evaluation of the information provided.

To assist in achieving these goals, management accountants have, over the past hundred years or so, formulated procedures, models and frameworks that allow to make their guidance more proficient and effective. Of course, these methods are relentlessly growing.

A couple of these techniques, models and frameworks are focused upon in the ACCA F2.

When functioning in a corporation, an ACCA financial accountant rarely gets to see (let alone to discuss with) shareholders, creditors, government agencies and the like, yet every day the ACCA management accountant will be ‘bombarded’ with demands, issues and problems from management! don't underrate the role of the modern ACCA management accountant. ACCA F2 covers vital areas of modern financial management.

Good luck with your studies of ACCA F2.
For more information on ACCA F2 and it’s core modules to assist with the ACCA exam, have a look at the TonySurridge website now

How important are your ACCA exams for your ACCA livelihood?

This could be the $64m question asked by many or even most part qualified ACCA students, as they approach the conclusion of their ACCA student life-cycle, can easily see light after the preverbial tunnel, and is all set to face a brand new challenge dawning in the distance. Namely, the battle of passing all their ACCA exams, finally qualifying after all these years and acquiring that desired accreditation to the internationally recognised ACCA, and now having to find suitable and regular work in the accounting field.

Obtaining a job in accountancy is not an effortless feat; it is a very ambitious and hungry environment. ACCA students commence their ACCA student career with a vision of easily obtaining a high paying position in accountancy at the end, since their qualification holds great weight. Have an ACCA qualification is virtually a pre-requisite lately to achieve a suitable standard of job role. As the University Degree became more common place on the CV of candidates looking for everyday jobs, as has the ACCA qualification become the standard amongst job-seeking qualified accountants. Without a qualification, life would be much harder.

Principles of office management

An organisation which is eager to achieve efficiency in its offices is bound to allocate a sufficient proportion of time to observing operations in the offices, to looking for ways to improvement, to the stimulation of helpful suggestions. It might be guided by the following principles, although it is unlikely in practice to go as far as formulating a list such as that given here:

Full use is to be made of delegation of authority to ensure that time and effort are being economically spent. Too much centralisation of operation can lead to duplication. It may also weaken the motivation to work of the office staff.

Lines of authority should be made clear, so as to remove uncertainty about responsibility for taking decisions and carrying out operations.

Sub-division of tasks should not be carried so far that there has to be unnecessary controls and paperwork, and futile expenditure of effort. Research into the intense sub-division of office tasks suggests that it leads to monotony and lower standards of performance.

In some circumstances very large general offices can be the cause of reduced efficiency.

A specialised service unit, e.g. for imputing computer data, keying, or filing, or mailing, can be expected to perform more efficiently than a large number of separate service units, one for each division of the office.

Communication channels should be such as to encourage the flow of productive suggestions up the line of authority.

Co-ordination may quickly lapse in vital areas unless constant vigilance is exercised over it.

In selecting managerial staff for the office, leadership and initiative count as well as technical and professional qualifications.

Office training at all levels cannot be safely neglected.

Wherever possible, the techniques of work measurement should be applied to the control of standard of output.

The role of supervisors and section leaders in maintaining morale and productivity should be recognised.

Office management is part of the ACCA Paper F1 syllabus and is covered by the tony.surridge.co.uk ACCA e-books which cover exam text, diagnostic questions and answers, mnemonics and charts in selected subjects.

The nature of office work

THE NATURE OF OFFICE WORK

Understanding the nature of office work is part of the ACCA Paper F1 syllabus.

In all offices, whether they are large or small, or whether they are in government, business or commerce, there is discernible a common pattern or cycle of activity. Information, usually in the form of electronic media, writing, or printing, is received. The piece of paper or form may have come through the post, from another office in the same organisation, or it may have originated in the office itself as the result of a telephone call or electronic processing. This information or ‘data’ is now invariably the subject of clerical activity. Broadly, this work consists of examining documents and deciding what to do with them, checking the data on the documents for completeness or credibility, sorting the documents, copying the data from one document to another, doing arithmetic on the data, summarising and analysing the data, and checking the results for accuracy. This electronic flow or ‘paperwork’, which may be performed with or without the assistance of machines, constitutes the processing of data.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY AN OFFICEAn office gives the following service:

Communication, both inside and outside the organisation. This will include writing, word processing, emailing, oral communication, meetings and mailing services. Some office records are made obligatory by law, e.g. certain forms of accounts. Others are maintained for their contributionto business efficiency.

The processing of information, including indexing, coding, sorting, collating and arithmetical processes.

The storage of information, including recording, copying and duplicating. One may also include here the transporting of data and the posting of records to another place. This can involve electronic data flow or manual work.

Management information, including aids to decision making.

The safeguarding of assets. Under this will come the protection of cash, inspecting, checking,comparing, auditing and arranging insurance cover.

Market research

Market research is activity which is used specifically to provide data to facilitate the making of marketing decisions - namely: product development, pricing, communication and distribution decisions. Such decisions can be classified as either ongoing, i.e. relating to the problems encountered in the continuous process of marketing a portfolio of products or services; or ad hoc, i.e. arising out of particular problems or developments.

Market research consists of a variety of techniques each of which matches a particular need;examples of such techniques include the following:

- web scanning
- monitoring trade press
- marketing feedback
- focus groups (see below)
- structured and unstructured interviews
- observation
- motivational research
- market surveys
- marketing experimentation

Market research is covered in the syllabus of ACCA and is covered by the e-books of tony.surridge.co.uk.

We recommend the tony.surridge.co.uk ACCA e-books which cover exam text, diagnostic questions and answers, mnemonics and charts in selected subjects. These provide important support for students studying the ACCA syllabus.

Production Control

Production control is an inevitable consequence of the need for production planning. Any plan must incorporate certain controls to ensure that targets are achieved. In particular, there must be provision for managers to be informed of, and to investigate, unexpected variances from the plan. In a large organisation a wide range of production controls will exist as shown below:

Progress Control, which is the control of production programmes and schedules in order to ensure that planned output is attained.

Cost Control, which is the control of a whole series of budgets, including such aspects as material cost control and labour cost control, in order to ensure that the original budget for costs of production is observed.

Quality Control, which is the control of the quality or standard of the product. This is closely allied to, and indeed will often be the responsibility of the inspection department.

Machine Utilisation Control, which is the control of machine loading, in order to ensure that the ‘load’ is related to machine capacity.

Stock (inventory) Control, which is the control of stocks and stores, in order to ensure that supplies are available as required and that their availability will not, therefore, interrupt production schedules.

Computer Control, which is the control of some operation which is entirely automatic. It differs fundamentally from the other controls in that, whereas, they involve taking corrective action in response to a detected deviation from target, usually some time after the deviation has been detected,computer control involves an immediate and automatic adjustment to maintain the required target. In other words, control is ‘in-built’ and there is no separate control process.

Production control is -part of the ACCA syllabus and is covered by the e-books of tony.surridge.co.uk

We recommend the tony.surridge.co.uk ACCA e-books which cover exam text, diagnostic questions and answers, mnemonics and charts in selected subjects. These provide important support for students studying the ACCA syllabus.

What is an entrepreneur? ACCA publisher TonySurridge looks for an answer

Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to the type of personality who is willing to take upon himself or herself a new venture or enterprise and accepts full responsibility for the outcome. Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist, believed to have coined the word Entrepreneur first in about at 1800. He said an entrepreneur is "one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour".

Entrepreneurship is often difficult and tricky, resulting in many new ventures failing. The word entrepreneur is often synonymous with founder. Most commonly, the term entrepreneur applies to someone who creates value by offering a product or service, by carving out a niche in the market that may not exist currently. Entrepreneurs tend to identify a market opportunity and exploit it by organising their resources effectively to accomplish an outcome that changes existing interactions within a given sector.

Business entrepreneurs are viewed as fundamentally important in the capitalistic society.

This type of enterprise normally uses the simplest form of organisational structure where the owner makes all the major decisions. The role and tasks of the other employees are determined by the owner on an ad hoc basis. It exhibits Handy’s ‘Power culture’ which is covered in several ACCA study e-books published by ACCA study publishers TonySurridge.co.uk.

We recommend the TonySurridge.co.uk ACCA study e-books which cover exam text, diagnostic questions and answers, mnemonics and charts in selected subjects. These provide important support for students studying the ACCA syllabus.

ACCA exam preparation and the ACCA revision required.

ACCA revision time

August sees the start of a new semester, and as the term proceeds and the December ACCA exams loom ever near many a student will fear - as a sudden sense of doubt and worry sets in the student’s mind - the one over-ruling question – “Have I done enough revision to pass my ACCA exams?”

Exam time is never easy, and as educational professionals in the industry, we are constantly asked by students the same question – “How much time should I spend on my ACCA revision?” And every time we must reply the same response – it differs from student to student, with no real set answer. Unlike registering for a new subject where there are a set number of hours you should study in order to fully absorb the information (usually 40 hours), revision for your ACCA exams is slightly harder to gauge.

Revision is always subjective, depending on the student’s quick learning ability, if they have an existing aptitude for the topics in that subject (e.g. if the ACCA Paper involves more calculations and is orientated around figures, or whether it is a discursive paper) and also most importantly, if they already have prior knowledge of the subject. Some students may be taking a re-sit, and know the subject better than others, or if the subject is an advanced paper and the student already has a solid understanding of the foundation level that preceded it. All these factors will play a part in their ACCA revision.

However, as a benchmark we would always advise to try for 18 hours revision per subject. If they are taking multiple ACCA exams at the same sitting, with time dwindling away, it’s down to the ACCA student’s ability to manage their time efficiently and prioritise where the bulk of their time should be spent.
For more advise and ACCA study guides for ACCA revision, see the TonySurridge.co.uk website.

ACCA students - Are you a ‘Practice Freak’, ‘Answer Auditor’ or ‘Single-dimensioner’?

Over the years I have listened to many grumbles about the ACCA exam syllabuses and exam pass rates but few about how ACCA students prepare themselves for the actual exam. I have been teaching for some time now and I have a few grumbles which I wish to share with you so that you may reflect on your own style of learning. Dare I hope that my observations may help a few ACCA students to study more effectively and pass their respective ACCA exams?

The average ACCA student is a ‘coat of many colours’. So which type of student are YOU? Could this be you ….?

The Practice-freak is the ACCA student who short-cuts the syllabus by merely practising one question after another thus avoiding 'tedious' involvement in the detail of the topics concerned. A common variant on this style of learning is the 'Answer auditor' who short-cuts even further by simply checking through answers without even attempting the questions. This passive style of learning is non-functional. The 'Practice-freak'/'Answer Auditor' is often seen as the Single-dimensioner in the exam - the candidate who is unable to cope adequately with a question which has a multi-dimensional emphasis not previously examined.

So there it is. Here is one ACCA student caricature which is somewhat common (as are the other seven types we have posted) and dare I say may even be a version of your own behaviour. Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur. (Why do you laugh? With change of name the story is about you).

Prevent yourself from becoming simply a ‘Practice Freak’, ‘Answer Auditor’ or ‘Single-dimensioner’ by taking advantage of the tony.surridge.co.uk ACCA study e-books. The series of Tony Surridge +AddVance E-books are specially designed for the ACCA exam syllabuses (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Our high quality ACCA study guide is structured around the core study text, with additional mnemonics and charts, supported by activities, as well as exam-status questions and answers for you, the ACCA student, to practice. Our comprehensive +AddVance electronic study tools provides an essential route-map through the ACCA syllabus and provides an expert interpretation of the subject and the ACCA exam requirements.

Download our free ACCA samples now (using the above link), to see just how helpful these study tools will be for your ACCA studies.

The current promotional period for TonySurridge's ACCA Study Guide E-books is about to close!

For all you ACCA students out there looking to secure a last minute deal on ACCA study materials, head over to our website now: www.tonysurridge.co.uk

For the past 2 years we have run an aggressive promotional offer to all ACCA students worldwide, offering the chance to purchase comprehensive and complete ACCA study guides for the low affordable price of just £3 per ACCA E-book title.

Our largest ACCA study guide was over 1,000 pages long, covering the ACCA subject fully, with numerous examples, worked case studies, and much more... all for sale and instantly delivered to your computer for the small sale price of just £3.

Although we will undoubtedly be having more promotional periods throughout the ACCA academic year, it is sadly time for the current one to come to an end.

Towards the end of August 2011, we will no longer be running our £3 per E-book campaign, with prices reverting back to the standard RRP. (However some of the initial CBE papers may remain at a low introductory price)

We hope you will continue to use our ACCA study guides long after the current promotional offer has run out. After all, many ACCA students have accredited the passing of their exams to our lectures and study materials. Regardless of price, we stand by the quality of our E-books and the teachings held within. We know we can help you with your ACCA studies - we are confident in that!

in the meantime, head over to our website, and bag yourself a bargain whilst the current offer is still running!

Are you a ‘Know It All’ or ‘Targent-erer’? Which ACCA student are you?

Over the years I have listened to many grumbles about exam syllabuses and exam pass rates but few about how students prepare themselves for the exam. I have been teaching for some time now and I have a few grumbles which I wish to share with you so that you may reflect on your own style of learning. Dare I hope that my observations may help a few students to study more effectively and pass their exams?

The average student is a ‘coat of many colours’. So which type of student are YOU?
Could this be you ….?

The Know It All is the ACCA student who has successfully studied for another related qualification (but surprisingly without gaining exemption in the subject now to be examined!) and therefore wrongly perceives the subject as simplistic and not warranting further and more detailed examination and study. This ACCA student does not seem to appreciate that similar topics and techniques have different applications. In the exam the 'Know It All' is often revealed as the Tangent-erer who seems to be at pains to answer question in stereotyped, inflexible and inappropriate ways.

So there it is. Here is one student caricature (and another one just as valid will be posted soon) which is somewhat common and dare I say may even be a version of your own behaviour. Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur. (Why do you laugh? With change of name the story is about you).

Prevent yourself from becoming simply a ‘Know It All’ or ‘Targent-erer’ by taking advantage of the tony.surridge.co.uk ACCA e-books. The series of Tony Surridge +AddVance E-books are specially designed for the ACCA exam syllabuses (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Our high quality ACCA study guide is structured around the core study text, with additional mnemonics and charts, supported by activities, as well as exam-status questions and answers for you to practice. Our comprehensive +AddVance electronic study tools provides an essential route-map through the ACCA syllabus and provides an expert interpretation of the subject and the ACCA exam requirements.

Download our free ACCA samples now (using the above link), to see just how helpful these study tools will be for your ACCA studies.

The London 'Black taxi'

Are you an ACCA professional travelling to work in a London Black Taxi?
Some basic facts about the London Black Taxi:

The first black taxi in London was the hackney coach in the 17th Century. The name comes from hacquenée, the French term for a general-purpose horse. It literally means, 'ambling nag'. In 1625 there were as few as 20 available for hire, operating out of inn yards. In 1636, the owner of four hackney coaches brought them into the Strand outside the Maypole Inn, and the first taxi rank had appeared. He established a tariff for various parts of London, and his drivers wore livery, so they would be easily recognisable. 'Hackney carriage' is still the official term used to describe taxis.

When the drivers began using lighter cabriolets, two-wheeled vehicles from France, at the beginning of the 19th Century, they became known as 'cabs'. The name comes from the French for 'jump like a goat', as they were very light, and tended to bounce through the streets. The London Hackney Carriage Act was passed in 1831, and the Metropolitan Police gained control of the trade for the next 169 years.
Wilhelm Bruhn invented the taximeter in 1891, and it is from this that the term taxi comes from. The taximeter measures the distance travelled and time taken of all journeys, allowing an accurate fare to be charged. These were disliked by cab drivers as they did not want their incomes regulated by machines. Bruhn ended up being thrown in the river by drivers, although his invention is still being used today.

Drivers do not have to stop if you hail them, whether or not the yellow 'taxi' sign is lit. This is because, legally, taxis are not plying for hire when they are moving. However, if they do stop, they are considered 'standing in the street' and cannot refuse a fare under six miles or that will take less than one hour. These regulations are to prevent the now non-existent horse from becoming fatigued or thirsty.

Fascinating Facts

Taxis were banned from driving through Hyde Park in 1685. This was due to the unruly behaviour of some ladies in a hackney coach. The ban was lifted in 1687, only to be reinstated in 1711 due to 'several disorders' being committed. That time the ban lasted until 1924.

Taxi drivers are not legally obliged to give change. If a large note is offered the driver is entitled to take the cash, and offer to post the change to the passenger's home address.

The 'Knowledge of London' was introduced in 1851 by Sir Richard Mayne after complaints that cab drivers did not know where they were going. Passing the Knowledge involves detailed recall of 25,000 streets within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross station. The locations of clubs, hospitals, hotels, railway stations, parks, theatres, courts, restaurants, colleges, government buildings and places of worship are also required. It can take three years to pass the test, including the six months it takes to be tested.

Only one percent of London's taxi drivers are women.

The original 'stage coaches' were certain hackney carriages whose drivers travelled in stages, i.e., they would drive short distances, along a fixed route, picking up fares at definite stopping points. As this part of the trade grew, they eventually became omnibuses, and then the bus transport system we have today.

Source: BBC

While travelling in the taxi your laptop can be used to study the ACCA e-books of Tony Surridge Online.

Can ACCA Accountants Be Leaders?

This question is asked of me so many times that I decided to directly ask various company professionals. So I started a poll at a finance group at Linkedln (Professional Networking website) and so far the results are not concluding. According to my survey and current results, none of the respondents said YES (quite surprising for me) and rest of the answers were equally divided into 4 parts depicting “In most cases”, “In some cases”, “In rare cases” and “No”.

So I asked ACCA professionals directly what their opinions on this question are. According to Miss Roxanne Mah, also an ACCA accountant and working at Rolling Mix Concrete, “It is not the choice of career that determines one’s ability to lead, but rather their desire to facilitate both their organization and the people around them. I would say that more often than not I have worked with highly gifted technical accountants who were promoted to management because of their technical strengths, only to see them to flounder in their ability to lead others. So the answer to your question is maybe Yes / maybe No”

I asked the same question to Nick Robinson, Non-executive director and chair of audit at Trafford Healthcare NHS trust and also a leadership coach. And for him, this is a sweeping question. Why? I asked him. “I guess you are assigning a set of traits to the ‘typical accountant’ that you consider are not useful to a ‘good leader’. Whilst there might be a small grain of truth in that, it’s kind of stereotyping”.

“In my experience as an ex-accountant, nearly everybody, including accountants and lawyers, can be taught to flex their natural behavior preferences enough to be good leaders in normal circumstances”, he added. “Good leadership draws heavily on authenticity and integrity – so consistently being yourself and being honest are important and can anyway outweigh the traits that might be more typically associated with natural leaders in normal circumstances”.

Zahid Jamal, a part time DJ of two famous radio stations in Pakistan and also an associate auditor at Ernst and Young, Pakistan, give me a BIG NO. He said, “Accountancy teaches us how to recode and maintain some numeric records. But numbers themselves can never describe the psychological, creative and behavioral aspects of making decision. Accountancy does not polish anyone’s leadership skills rather it creates a number cruncher”.

Please communicate with us at our ACCA discussion forum if you have any comments or questions about this subject.

Written by Ali Ahmad for: tonysurridge.co.uk

Are you a ‘Will-Doer’ or ‘Politician’? Pass your ACCA exams with hard study

Over the years I have listened to many grumbles about exam syllabuses and ACCA exam pass rates but few about how students prepare themselves for the exam. I have been teaching for some time now and I have a few grumbles which I wish to share with you so that you may reflect on your own style of learning. Dare I hope that my observations may help a few students to study more effectively and pass their ACCA exams?

The average student is a ‘coat of many colours’. So which type of student are YOU?
Could this be you ….?

The Will-Doer is always going to start studying 'one of these days' failing to appreciate the simple but true axiom that 'one of these days is none of these days'. In the few weeks just prior to the exam the student desperately resorts to the unachievable task of cramming in sufficient knowledge being obsessively and exclusively focused on uncertain exam tips. The 'Well-doer' is identified in the exam as the Politician who doesn't answer the questions posed, thinking that obscure answers will cover for inadequate knowledge.

So there it is. Here is one student caricature ( and others just as valid will be posted soon) which is somewhat common and dare I say may even be a version of your own behaviour. Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur. (Why do you laugh? With change of name the story is about you).

Prevent yourself from becoming simply a ‘Will-doer’ or ‘Politician’ by taking advantage of the tony.surridge.co.uk e-books. The series of Tony Surridge +AddVance E-books are specially designed for the ACCA exam syllabuses (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Our high quality ACCA study guide is structured around the core study text, with additional mnemonics and charts, supported by activities, as well as exam-status questions and answers for you to practice. Our comprehensive +AddVance electronic study tools provides an essential route-map through the ACCA syllabus and provides an expert interpretation of the subject and the ACCA exam requirements.

Download our free ACCA samples now (using the above link), to see just how helpful these study tools will be for your ACCA studies.

ACCA students need to revise harder to pass their ACCA exams

Do ACCA students need to revise harder to pass their ACCA exams? There is some concern that many ACCA students are becoming complacent with their studies, expecting to pass the big exams with minimal work, or just be revising “cliff notes” on the subject. But that is simply not the case.

ACCA revision should not be taken lightly, and needs to weigh just as prominently in your mind as your standard ACCA studies. Whilst your learning may not necessarily revolve around a classroom environment – it could be a distance learning programme, self study from your own purchased materials, or E-learning online – the number of hours study and actual revision should remain constant regardless of your learning environment. Namely, 40 hours for ACCA study, and 18 hours for ACCA revision.

The ACCA exams themselves have not changed fundamentally. Yes, they underwent some uplift at the start of 2011, but generally the study content hasn’t changed by much. The ACCA exams should also remain of a similar standard, yet more and more ACCA students are complaining about failing! The ever-growing number of students registering to study ACCA means that to become an ACCA qualified accountant, the competition is increasing, and the need to quickly pass and secure a full time position is greater than ever, with ACCA student enrolment figures now reaching a whopping 424,000. But the potential for ACCA jobs is still there, as of today the tony.surridge.co.uk ACCA jobs-board is advertising 7,763 accountancy positions which are vacant and need filling.

What’s the final advice? Go that extra mile, and study harder so you can pass your ACCA exams first time. Don’t make excuses and point the finger of blame elsewhere. Short-term hardship for better long-term gain is the goal… and then you’ll be on your way to becoming a qualified ACCA accountant.